Going to a concert can be the most exhilarating feeling in the world. Your favorite people in the world are mere feet in front of you, and you're singing along with them to the songs you usually jam out to when you're alone in your room or in the shower. Concerts provide us with spaces where you can scream all your favorite words to your favorite songs as loud as you want, dance like it's nobody's business, and be surrounded by other people who are doing the exact same things. Concerts are an escape from whatever is going on in your life, and for those three or four hours, all that matters is the music.
Sadly, however, concerts don't last forever. The show ends. The band leaves. You go home and have to face reality again. You have to figure out how to unwind from the adrenaline rush (or crash face first into the first surface that you can sleep on for the night and don't move for 8 hours). Then it hits you; the post concert depression. Nothing will ever compare to how exciting as that show was.
Here are the six stages of Post Concert Depression (PCD):
1. "This is the best night ever!"
This is the part that happens while you're still in the crowd, completely caught up in the show. You're singing, dancing, and having the time of your life. The progression of time does not exist within the concert venue. You are vaguely aware that time has passed, because the band is 10 songs in to an 11 song set, but who cares about that right now?! The music is too good to get distracted worrying about how soon it will all be over.
2. "Wait, did the two song encore end already?"
Wait, what's happening now? Why is the band leaving? Why are the lights coming back on? You were too caught up in enjoying yourself and the show that you completely forgot it was going to end eventually. And now it's over, but you're not entirely ready for it to be. This revelation hits you hard when the lights come back on and you have to join the mass exodus leaving the venue.
3. "There are absolutely no words to effectively describe how amazing this show was."
The entire ride home from the concert, you and your friends gush about every single aspect of the show. You talk about the song choices, the things that have changed since the last time you saw that band, the lighting choices, the way the leader singer hit that high note; you cover every topic that stood out about the show. It was, without a doubt, the best concert you've ever seen, and you are ready to provide a three page essay defending this to anyone who thinks otherwise.
4. "....but I don't want to go home..."
You park your car, look up at your house, and realize you do not want to go in. Going inside means accepting that you're escape is over and reality is waiting for you behind that door. You reluctantly go inside, because your adrenaline rush is wearing off, exhaustion is kicking in, and you're probably dehydrated.
5. "Now what?"
You're laying in bed or on your sofa, and maybe your ears are still ringing. You might still even be wearing the clothes you wore to the show, because who can be bothered to get changed at this point? Exhaustion is in full effect, but you're still so excited from the show you can't go to sleep. Plus, you know if you fall asleep now, you'll wake up and then your concert experience will really be over. And who wants that to happen? So you fight it off as long as possible, even though you're dead tired and not quite sure what to do with yourself until you finally fall asleep.
6. "They're back in three months?! Take all of my money!"
You wake up the next morning (or afternoon) feeling awful. Everything sucks because the best night of your life is over. Since you're not quite ready to accept this just yet, you go on Instagram to see all the cool pictures people posted from last night when -what? They're coming back? In three months?! You will do whatever it takes if it means you can relive your experience one more time, and promptly inform all of your friends that you will all be attending your favorite bands next tour together in the near future.
